Why You Need a Buyer Agent

I am so excited to have just randomly received this testimonial from a customer - "You could not have hooked us up with a better person. Anne is amazing and has been so wonderful to us. Thank you thank you!" They went on to say that she has already helped them immensely in their home search. The kicker is that she just became acquainted with them this weekend. They had been looking at homes randomly and usually calling the list agent to see them, but now that they have their OWN Agent working on THEIR behalf, they are making tremendous headway. Having a buyer specialist costs you nothing but can be invaluable in terms of time saved, knowledge of the market, and legal liability. Call Anne Rudert today! She can be reached at 336-813-7645 or anne@theshoreteam.com.

11 Reasons to List During the Holidays

1. People who look for a home during the Holidays are more serious buyers! 2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you! 3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand means less money for you! 4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays! 5. Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price! 6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than they do during a working week! 7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons! 8. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market! 9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the Holidays! 10. You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year! 11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money! This will allow you to sell high and buy low!

Why KW?

"When you choose to join Keller Williams, you join forces with the most dynamic real estate company in the world." - YEAH! https://www.recruitingbridge.com/agent/63165/amanda-shore

New Review on Trulia!

"Amanda put us first - looked out for our best interest. She knew the area market and worked that to our advantage. She was both energetic and enjoyable to work with. Amanda responded quickly to phone calls, texts and emails. If she was tied up in a closing, her team responded quickly. She kept us informed of market conditions and surrounding sales through her newsletter. I highly recommend Amanda and her team." -- John W. To see more reviews, click here

Clemmons West is Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

The Shore Team currently has 3 homes under contract in Clemmons West... yippee!!! However, as much as I would like to take all the credit, I have to give MAJOR kudos to all 3 sellers. They had all been subscribed to my neighborhood newsletter for quite some time, and all 3 were very realistic when it came to their local market. Additionally, they all did exactly as we instructed in regards to staging, pricing aggressively, easy accessibility, etc. This resulted in market times of 31, 3, and 1 days. WHOA! If you would like to subscribe to my Clemmons West newsletter, just let me know. It does not obligate you to anything, and it is produced monthly (so your inbox doesn't get overwhelmed). It is clear, concise, and reports ALL the homes listed, sold, pending etc. (not just mine). It really is an informative tool, if I do say so myself!

RED DAY!

I was proud to participate with my team and entire Winston-Salem Keller Williams office in the sprucing up and cleaning of the Davis House. We had fun, worked hard, and enjoyed every minute of giving back to this community we all hold so dear our hearts! See more pictures on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theshoreteam

Selling Your Home THRICE

In the latest blog post by Keeping Current Matters, Steve Harney points out that agents have to sell your home twice -- to buyers and then to the bank. I would say we have to sell it THRICE -- to other agents, to buyers, and to the bank. Savvy agents will do everything they can to keep their customers from looking at a home they feel is over priced or poorly maintained. Read the KCM blog post here

Red Day Is Coming!

Introduced in 2009, RED Day, which stands for Renew, Energize and Donate, is Keller Williams Realty's annual day of service. Each year on the second Thursday of May, associates spend the day away from their businesses serving worthy organizations and causes in their communities. RED Day is just another example of our commitment to each other and to the cities and towns where we live and work. Join us!

Is Cheaper Better??

I was just reading a blog post showcased by Inman News when a paragraph hit me in the face. I began reading it due to the catchy headline regarding selling a home via Zillow, but the author captured our society perfectly with the following analysis "Consumers often choose speed, simplicity and low prices over thoroughness and quality. Redbox’s half-rented-out, $1 DVD kiosks survive though rental stores with hundreds of better choices for $5 went out of business. We book reservations on Hotwire without even knowing the hotel’s name because we can save $20. Parents entrust their inheritance to a will that they crafted on a legal website for $99." Read the rest of the post here.

Zillow Swillow...

I came across a funny meme yesterday that had the artist guy... I can't remember his name... the one that painted on the easel and would paint "pretty birds" in places where he smudged?  Anyway, the meme showed him in front of a blank canvas and said "Hey Look -- it's a collage of all the homes Zillow accurately valuated."  SO TRUE.  You can see it here.

Zillow is a necessary evil in our industry.  We can't beat it, so we have to come up with ways to use it to our advantage.  Therefore, The Shore Team has purchased enhanced features on Zillow that allow us as agents to upload multiple photos (more than the default), edit property details (to an extent), etc.  However. just because we have learned to capitalize on this website does NOT mean we endorse everything it says!  Zestimates are rarely, if ever, correct evaluations of your property's value.  Trust me on this!  Algorithms are used to determine value based on square footage, tax info, etc., but they are not market specific.  Market specificity is crucial to properly preparing your home for the market or for properly setting your expectations as a buyer.  Please contact your trusted Realtor advisor for these things, and take Zillow with a grain of salt.

Time Flies and Change Happens!

It has been a while since my last post, but there sure has been a lot happening in the world of The Shore Team!  Mark, Lisa, and I are very excited to announce that we will be a part of bringing a Keller Williams franchise to Winston-Salem!  KW is a HUGE player in the national real estate scene, and while there are some offices in our vicinity, as of now there is not one in Winston-Salem.  But, all of that is about to change!  We are partnering with some other like minded, motivated, full time, and LOCAL agents to bring the franchise here, and we could not be more enthusiastic about this. While the official change happened Friday, this morning several of our team members had the chance to sit down and really dig into some of the tools that KW has to offer its agents -- HOLY SMOKES!  We are blown away, and it was just the tip of the iceberg!  For those customers that are sticking with us, we appreciate your patience as we make this transition, but it WILL be worth it!

New Happenings in Warren's Gate!

We are excited to share that there is a new homeowner in Warren's Gate in Clemmons!  Lot 34 closed last week, and you may be surprised to know that it is a single family home built by D. Stone Builders.  Yes, I said single family!  Several lots remain that could accommodate a single family OR twin home... in fact, Lot 33 has recently been reserved for another single.  Take a drive through and you will see that this beautiful gem in the heart of Clemmons is growing!

Winston-Salem Journal E-Edition Article

VERY proud of my new team!  We offer it all -- thorough marketing, buyer representation, seller representation, property management... we are your one stop shop for real estate needs in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, and surrounding areas!